Hoof beats in Central Park
by Anne Bensler
Summary: I'm sure post-ep one-shots for Zebras have been done before but I don't think I've read any of them. This is one scenario I would have liked to see after that episode. Let me know what you think of it, okay? One-shot, E/O of course and rated K plus for a change!


**Summary:**

 **I'm sure post-ep one-shots for Zebras have been done before but I don't think I've read any of them. (Either that or they didn't leave a lasting impression. If so, apologies to the authors & please link me!) This is one scenario I would have liked to see after that episode. Let me know what you think of it, okay?**

...

She had been perfect. Perfect. Well, aside from the slapping maybe. But it needed to be convincing so she had to hit him hard. He understood. It had even felt nice to be numb because the cuts in his chest were hurting like hell. He was so, so grateful that he and his partner were always so tuned into each other. When she started buttering up to Stuckey, he knew she was going to use her feminine charm on him, and it would weaken the kid enough to take him out. However, when she moved in for the kill, she had caught him off guard for just an instant. She was actually going to kiss the lad, saying she wanted _him_ to watch. And that was so sexy.

It had been totally the wrong moment to get turned on and he'd been able to focus on the plan to disarm Stuckey, but he couldn't get that image out of his head. The look she'd given him while she kissed the kid.

 _I want him to watch._

 _Watch what?_

 _Watch this._

Their lives were in danger. O'Halloran was dead. A fact he hadn't really processed yet. And he was staring at those lips. Her plump, soft, sexy lips, fusing with the eager, inexperienced lips of a complete failure while her dark brown eyes had sought him out. Like she was kissing the boy but thinking about him. Kicking the kid in the nuts had been extremely satisfying. But even now, hours later, the image of Olivia getting ready to kiss another man - well, a boy really - and the look in her eyes while she did it, was still on his mind.

O'Halloran had been taken to the morgue and Stuckey had been booked. Their statements had been taken at the hospital and the doctor at the ER had finally found the time to disinfect his chest wounds. Olivia hadn't left his side the whole time. She was quiet and he knew she was taking O'Halloran's death hard. She watched while the doctor put tape over the incisions on his chest. He was glad he wasn't getting stitches. He liked his chest just the way it was. He also liked the way Olivia was looking at him. Well, at his chest. She licked her lips and he wondered if she was aware that she was doing that. When she noticed him looking at her, she looked away abruptly and took a deep breath. What had she been thinking?

He swallowed and cleared his throat. Olivia looked at him, expecting him to say something. He didn't know what to say but the look in her eyes was a plea to make it all better. To make the shock and sadness go away. He wished he could just teleport the two of them out of there, away from the situation and from the confusion to have a member of their own team turn on them. Olivia's lips parted when she inhaled slowly and his eyes were glued to her mouth. Her soft, moist lips that could cuss like a sailor and comfort like a mother. That could spit venom at perps and share passionate kisses with her lovers. Her lovers ... Was she seeing anyone these days? Why didn't he know that? Or maybe he didn't want to know.

He had tried dating himself after his final separation from Kathy. He knew they were over for good this time and that Kathy was dating a little too. He was trying, but he wasn't very good at it. For one, he hardly knew any single women, and the ones he was introduced to didn't seem particularly interested in a divorced father of five. So most of the time when he felt like going out for a drink, he went with Olivia. She was safe. Familiar. She accepted him just the way he was, and he knew that in itself was quite an accomplishment.

Olivia was beautiful. She was more than beautiful. She was stunning. On the job she was always one of the guys but no man could fail to notice how she was all woman at the same time. A lot of the other detectives and officers had made comments to him about his partner. They all seemed convinced he was fooling around with her and wouldn't mind trading places with him for a while. But he would never give up his place by her side, ever. It was because he held her in such high regard, he told himself. Because they were friends. Because she deserved respect in stead of guys lusting after her because of her looks. It was true. It was all true. But it wasn't just that and he knew it.

"You okay?" he finally asked her, knowing she'd understand that he wouldn't know what else to say.

Her eyes stayed trained on his just a little longer than usual. He'd expected her to just say 'I'm fine,' like she always did. She'd trust him to know that she wasn't. She surprised him this time when she admitted softly,

"Not really."

"You did great out there," he offered and she rewarded him with a half smile.

"It could have been you with that knife sticking out of your chest."

"I know."

She took another deep breath and he couldn't help looking at her heaving chest for a second. The doctor was finished at last and he sat up on the hospital bed to put his shirt back on.

"That's ruined," Olivia remarked, gesturing at his shirt.

He knew she was still slightly in shock and he tried to lighten the mood a bit, telling her he forgot to bring a change of clothes to the lab. She swatted his knee and smirked.

"I'll just button up my jacket, it's fine," he assured her. "You wanna get out of here?"

"Please," Olivia sighed.

He got up from the bed and thanked the doctor before grabbing his jacket and turning to leave. Olivia fell into step next to him and they marched out of the room and down the hallway together. They were truly a team of two equals and he knew they were going to be alright. They'd miss O'Halloran but they would be able to go on, as long as they were together. But Olivia was struggling and as his partner, it was his duty to help her. He glanced at her as they left the hospital and stepped outside into the cool evening air. It was a nice night and summer seemed to be coming early this year.

"You wanna go get a drink somewhere?" he suggested, knowing she wasn't ready to be alone.

But Olivia shook her head.

"No. I just ... let's walk for a bit, okay?"

"Okay."

Okay. No problem. He'd walk with her. To the ends of the earth if need be. That image of her kissing Stuckey flashed before his eyes once again. He knew it had been an act but he just couldn't forget it. They'd done things undercover to make sure their cover wasn't blown, but never with each other. Never with each other. It was like they were two repelling magnets, pushing each other away whenever they got too close. Even when they were undercover as a couple, they didn't kiss, ever. But that look in her eyes ... it was as if she was asking him for forgiveness and as if she was saying she wished it was him. He shook his head, trying to shake off that thought. Of course she wouldn't wish that. They were partners. Friends. Buddies. He glanced at her profile again and he took in her jawline, her cheekbone, her nose and her dark eyes and eyelashes. And those lips. Buddies? Right. Who was he trying to kid?

They had walked for quite a while and he realized they had ended up at Central Park when Olivia spoke for the first time.

"What did you think about when you thought he was going to kill you?" she asked him suddenly, not looking at him but at some point ahead of them.

He felt his heart rate go up slightly. She'd asked him a simple question but the answer wasn't that simple.

"My family," he said, choosing the safer answer for now.

Olivia nodded and said nothing. He bit his lower lip and flexed his fingers. Truth time.

"You."

He could hear her breath hitch slightly.

"Me?"

She'd sounded so surprised that it was almost painful. _'Yes, you. Of course you!'_ he wanted to say. He said nothing and just nodded, bowing his head and glancing at her sideways. He breathed out slowly and decided to ask her something too.

"What did you think about when you kissed him, not knowing if it would work?"

Olivia stopped walking abruptly and turned to face him. He stopped in front of her and looked into her eyes. She seemed vulnerable all of a sudden, and open. It shocked him a little because she was never this vulnerable. She had her thumbs tucked into the pockets of her slacks, making her seem relaxed and at ease, but her eyes told him a completely different story. She was vulnerable and he could see pain in her eyes, and something else he was afraid to put into words.

"I thought," Olivia started slowly, "that if this was to be my very last kiss, I didn't want it to be with him."

He swallowed hard but said nothing. He felt as vulnerable as she looked but he knew she needed to get this out. She had to be the one to say it. If he said something too soon, she'd run. She had to be ready. So he waited. Olivia was taking a few deep breaths but never took her eyes off him. When she spoke again, he held his breath.

"I wanted it to be someone else."

The tension between them was palpable.

"Who?" he managed to say, his voice hoarse and soft.

Olivia took a small step towards him. Their faces were now mere inches apart.

"You."

He closed his eyes and felt like he was falling forward. When his forehead connected softly with hers, he knew he actually had. He moved his hands to her waist and Olivia's hands were suddenly on his chest. He heard the sound of hoof beats in the distance.

"Liv."

"El."

"I ..."

"Yeah."

He opened his eyes and found hers so close to him that he couldn't breathe.

"This is ..."

"Can I ..."

"Please."

"Are you ..."

"Yeah."

He wasn't really sure what they had just said or who had said what. It didn't matter. Their bodies had understood. Their hearts had understood. This wasn't fooling around with his partner. It was something completely different. They were on such a different level that it was impossible to explain to anyone else. They were finally on the same level, body, heart and mind.

He couldn't even remember afterwards who had made the first move, but he would remember that kiss for the rest of his life. Her lips were full and soft and her tongue was warm and inviting. He heard himself moan without realizing he'd made a sound. Her hands were cupping his face, just like she'd done with Stuckey, but everything else was different. Her eyes remained closed and his closed too. When he wrapped her up in his arms and lost himself in the kiss, he knew that things would never be the same between them. And he couldn't be happier about it.

...

 **Thank you for reading! Please leave a review.**

 **PS. A great multi-chapter story that starts post-Zebras is Priority by Jamster4170!**


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